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U.S. Navy Disrupts Piracy Attempt in Arabian Sea

ARABIAN SEA, March 25, 2011  U.S. naval forces disrupted a pirate attack on a Philippine-flagged merchant vessel, after it reported it had been attacked by pirates yesterday.

Navy Chief Petty Officer Nathan P. Rose, an assistant boarding officer, briefs the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf’s visit, board, search and seizure team before boarding the Philippine-flagged merchant vessel Falcon Trader II, which had sent out a distress call reporting it had been boarded by pirates in the Arabian Sea, March 25, 2011. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert Guerra(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

All 20 Filipino crew members of the Falcon Trader II are safe and in control of the vessel, officials said.

At about 10:30 a.m. local time yesterday, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and guided missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf responded to a distress call from the Falcon Trader II reporting that suspected pirates in a small skiff were trying to board the vessel.

In a second report, the Falcon Trader II crew reported pirates aboard, and that all 20 crew members had locked themselves into a safe room, also known as a “citadel.” The citadel is a secure room with food, water, communication and control over the vessel's steering and propulsion, officials explained.

A SH-60F helicopter assigned to the "Dragonslayers" of Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron 11 from the Enterprise and a SH-60B helicopter assigned to the "Vipers" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 48 from the Leyte Gulf were sent to investigate.

The HS-11 helicopter fired warning shots to dissuade the pirates from continuing their attack. Two pirates were seen jumping off the Falcon Trader II’s bow, and the pirates' skiff fled the area, pursued by the HS-11 helicopter.

As the pirate's skiff tried to rendezvous with a larger vessel suspected to be acting as a “mother ship,” the pirates shot at the helicopter with assault rifles. The helicopter and its crew were not harmed and returned to continue reconnaissance.

"We could definitely see the muzzle flashes from their AK-47s, but we weren't hit," said Navy Lt. Joshua A. Overn, a pilot aboard the helicopter. "The antipiracy training we had received kicked in, and everyone conducted themselves with poise and professionalism."

With no confirmation that all of the pirates had left the vessel, a Leyte Gulf crew member fluent in Tagalog remained in contact with the Falcon Trader II's Filipino crew and monitored the vessel overnight. After observing no suspicious activity, Leyte Gulf's “visit, board, search and seizure” team secured the vessel. After confirming no pirates remained aboard, they notified the crew that it was safe to come out of the citadel.

"It says a great deal about the inherent flexibility and capability of the Enterprise Strike Group that we were able to conduct counterpiracy operations while simultaneously flying Operation Enduring Freedom missions and coordinating air defense of the region," said Navy Capt. Eugene Black, commanding officer of the Leyte Gulf.

U.S. forces continue to monitor the suspected pirate mother ship, officials said. Pirates are known to keep hostages on mother ships to prevent counterpiracy forces from acting directly against them.

"This is a great example of the teamwork inherent in a Carrier Strike Group," said Navy Rear Adm. Terry Kraft, commander of Enterprise Strike Group. "We were lucky to be on scene when the attack occurred, and everyone did their jobs well."

Crew members of guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf are lowered into the water March 25, 2011, before boarding the Philippine-flagged merchant vessel Falcon Trader II, in the background, after a distress call from the merchant vessel reported it had been boarded by pirates in the Arabian Sea. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert GuerraDownload screen-resolutionDownload high-resolution

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3/26/2011 2:53:44 PM
The US Navy has become a lifeline for commerce and private ships. Recent events have shown that pirates are willing to kill to reach thier goal. Hopefully with the consistent intervention the Navy is giving it will discourage future young men in poor countries from being recruited to this lifestyle. - Ana Maring, Hawaii